2020

BOOST IN DIGITAL HERITAGE OFFERINGS WITH NEW DIGITALISATION FUND

As part of the Resilience Budget announced by DPM on 26 March 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth will invest $55 million through an Arts and Culture Resilience Package (ACRP). This includes a new Digitalisation Fund which will support the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) ongoing efforts to digitalise our museums and heritage so that more can have access to it. Through digitalisation, NHB also aims to generate demand and create opportunities for the arts and culture groups, production houses, freelancers and community partners.

Digital Edition of Singapore Heritage Festival 2020

Under the Digitalisation Fund, NHB will be organising a digital edition of Singapore Heritage Festival (SHF) 2020 for the first time. The festival will be launched on 19 June with digitally commissioned works, webinars, demonstrations etc presented through live streaming, video and other digital formats, featuring Singapore’s diverse heritage including the histories of places such as Tanjong Pagar, Kallang and Pasir Ris. Festival-goers can look forward to iconic elements of the festival such as online tours exploring lesser known spaces and places in Singapore, as well as digital workshops featuring our intangible cultural heritage such as belachan-making and pastry-making.

More Digital Projects for Singaporeans to enjoy

Other digitalisation projects in the pipeline include:

Virtual exhibitions showcasing the galleries of NHB museums and institutions, and Museum Roundtable members. These will add on to NHB’s existing digital efforts such as the upcoming digital exhibition of the National Museum of Singapore’s recently concluded An Old New World: From the East Indies to the Founding of Singapore, 1600s – 1819

Digitalisation of the galleries and contents of our national museums and the heritage institutions, as we continue to bring our Museum-based Learning programmes online to students;

Online curator guided tours;

3D scans of artefacts in our National Collection;

Adaptation of the BalikSG app to a non-site specific version – one that does not require users to visit the site markers along the Singapore River to enjoy the Augmented Reality features and content;

Live streaming and online broadcasting of programmes such as e-CultureFests at the three heritage institutions – Indian Heritage Centre, Malay Heritage Centre and Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE HERITAGE SECTOR IN 2020

OUR SG HERITAGE PLAN (PROGRESS UPDATE)

Our SG Heritage Plan is a comprehensive national master plan co-created with the community, for the future of Singapore’s heritage and museum sector. 2020 represents the mid-point of Our SG Heritage Plan, which was launched in 2018. Our work across the four pillars of the plan – Our Places, Our Cultures, Our Treasures and Our Communities – has been proceeding well. Updates for 2020 include:

1. Museum-based Learning for All Primary 6 and Secondary 2 Students

For heritage education, the National Heritage Board (NHB) is partnering with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to introduce Museum-based Learning (MBL). This will give all Primary 6 and Secondary 2 students the opportunity to visit the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) and National Museum as part of their Cohort Learning Journeys, to deepen their appreciation of our heritage and culture, and our links to the rest of the world.

The programmes at ACM and National Museum are titled, ‘Museum-based Learning: Asian Adventures’ and ‘Museum-based Learning: Artefactually Speaking’ respectively, and will also complement students’ learning in the refreshed Character and Citizenship Education curriculum, and reinforce what they learn during Social Studies in primary school and History in secondary school.

Using artefacts and resources in the National Collection, trained museum educators will engage in meaningful conversations with students, and facilitate their learning by conducting story-telling, role-playing and hands-on activities to deepen their interest in heritage and culture beyond the classroom.

2. Singapore Philatelic Museum to Become a Dedicated Children’s Museum

The Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM), currently closed for redevelopment, will re-open in 2021 as a dedicated children’s museum. The new children’s museum will explore a wide range of themes, including the heritage and culture of Singapore and the region, and beyond. Targeted at children aged 12 and below, the museum will be a welcoming, imaginative and nurturing space that fosters learning, and helps children expand their horizons.

Children will explore and learn through hands-on and immersive displays, personal stories, and role-playing. SPM’s philatelic collection will continue to be used alongside other artefacts to support children’s learning in the new museum. Stamps make excellent educational resources for children who find them attractive and accessible, and a specially curated selection will be part of the museum’s refreshed permanent galleries and special exhibitions.

As part of NHB’s ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships with communities, and foster deeper appreciation for heritage in everyday places, NHB will be piloting the Street Corner Heritage Galleries scheme in 2020, starting with community stakeholders within the Balestier precinct.

Under this new scheme, local shop owners with at least 30 years of history in selected precincts will be invited by NHB to co-create “mini museums” in-situ to showcase the history and heritage of their respective businesses and trades through displays of historical documents, photographs and artefacts, etc.

Local shop owners will have the opportunity to participate and own our Singapore heritage by sharing their histories and stories. The scheme will also develop capabilities among the community in the areas of heritage research, documentation and promotion.